Disappearing theater-chair.



PATENTED JAN. 29, 1907.

RHARVEY. DISAPPEARING THEATER CHAIR. Y

APPLICATION FILED JIQYZB. 1906.

W/TNESSES nro/MHS.

1HE Noxkrs PErERs ce., wAsmNaToN, n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIOE.

FREDERICK HARVEY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR OFONE-HALF TO` DISAPPEARING THEATER-CHAIR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 29, 1907.

Application filed July Z8, 1906. Serial No. 328,249.

|T all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FREDERICK'HARVEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Disappearing Theater-Chairs, of which the following is a specification, such as will enable those skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same..

The object of this invention is to provide theaters, opera-houses, and similar places with seats or chairs which will disappear beneath the iioor when the people sitting thereon rise from their seats, and thus leave a smooth Hoor-surface to facilitate the egress from the theater, opera-house, or similar place in case of fire.

The invention consists in forming the seats or chairs used in places of the class specified in such manner that when desired for use they are raised and supported above the floor and remain in this position as long as they are occupied; but as soon as the parties sitting thereon rise from their seats the said seats or chairs automatically disappear beneath the iioor, and the opening through Which they disappear is closed by a member connected with the seat or chair.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, of which. the accompanying drawings form a part, in which the separate parts of my improvement are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views, and in which- Figure 1 is asectional side view showing a seat or chair constructed according to my invention and showing the method of its operation, and Fig. 2 a sectional front view thereof.

In the drawings forming part f this specification I have indicated at a the iioor ol' a theater, opera-house, or similar place, and in the practice of my invention I form therein at each point where a chair is placed an opening b, through which the chairs are movable.

My improved chair comprises a bottom box-shaped member c, having a back d, and beneath the opening b in the iioor a, is placed a casing, frame, or other receiver e, adapted to receive the chair when it sinks beneath the iloor.

The bottom box-shaped portion c of the chair is provided With a horizontal top member c2, to which the seat member f of the chair is hinged, as shown at j' 2, and formed in the top part c2 of the box-shaped member c and forwardly of the hinge of the seat member f is an opening c3, beneath which is placed a vertically-movable plunger g, adapted to pass through said opening and the upper end of which normally fits therein. The upper end of the plunger g is provided. in the form of construction shown with an antifrictionroller g2, and secured thereto is a collar h, having a forwardly-projecting pin h2, which passes through a vertically-arranged slot c4 in the front Wall of the box-shaped casing c, I

and below the collar h is placed a strong spiral spring i, through which said plunger g passes, and said spring is secured in the form of construction shown to the front Wall of the vbox-shaped casing c and normally serves to hold the plunger in a raised position.

The 4lower end of the plunger g is provided Awith a wedge-shaped head g3, and mounted on the opposite sides thereof are laterallymovable wedge-shaped chair-supporting devices to which are secured, on the inner side thereof, a contractile spring y'z, which normally serves to draw said wedge-shaped chair-supporting devices together, and the inner ends of said wedge-shaped chair-sup porting devices y' are inclined inwardly and downwardly, while the outer narrower ends thereof pass through openings c5 in the opposite sides of the box-shaped casing c.

rIhe back d of the chair in the form of construction shown is thickened and provided at the top thereof and centrally thereof with a handle 7c, by which it may be raised into the position shown in Figs. l and 2, and said back is provided in the top portion thereof with a transverse recess k2, in which is placed a vertically-movable transverse member m, having opposite side pins m2, adapted to move in vertical grooves m3, formed in the end walls of the recess k2, and the bottom part of the member m is provided with a thickened or projecting portion m4, above which is a transverse opening m5.

The member m3 consists of a plate or board set into the back part of the top portion of the back d of the chair, and the normal position of the chair when not in use is that shown in dotted lines at n in Fig. 1, inl

and when the chair is desired for use the handle 7c is grasped and the chair is raised above the iioor, as indicated in Figs. l and 2, and while held in this position the seat member f is also lowered, as shown in full lines in Fig. l, and the party desiring to use the chair sits thereon and the chair is firmly supported above the floor as long as the seat member f is occupied or pressure is applied thereto. When the party sitting` on the seat member f rises, the spring i forces the plunger g upwardly and folds the seat member f upwardly into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. l, the spring draws the supports inwardly, and the chair drops into the box, casing, or receiver e, and in this operation the thickened part m4 at the bottom of the plate m also strikes the floor at 0 in Fig. l and is raised and foldedforwardly into the position shown in dotted lines at m5 in Fig. 5 and closes the opening b in the iioor. It will be understood that when the chair is raised above Vthe iioor for use the member is folded backwardly and drops into the position shown in full lines in Fig. 1.

In the drawings forming part of this application the back d and seat member f of the chair are upholstered, as shown at p, and this necessitates the hinging of the seat member f at f 2 farther forward than would otherwise be necessary; but it will be understood that this upholstering of the backand seat meinber of the chair is not an essential feature.

The frame, casing, or receiver e is preferably provided in the bottom thereof with cushions r, on which the chair strikes when it drops through the floor, and said cushions may be formed in any desired manner.

By means of this construction it will be seen that a theater, opera-house, or other public building may be provided with chairs which in case of necessity are lowered beneath the iioor, so as to permit an Vaudience to move freely over the iioor in an effort to escape from the building, and while I have shown and described a specific means for accomplishing this result my invention is not limited thereto, and I reserve the right to make all such alterations in the construction described as fairly come within the scope of the invention.

I-Iaving fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Iletters Patent, is

l. A chair for theaters adapted to disappear beneath the floor, above which it is placed when not in use, said floor being provided with an opening, and said chair being provided with a hinged seat member adapted to be folded vertically when not in use and to be lowered into a horizontal position when in use, the back of the chair being provided with means for closing the opening in the fioor when the chair disappears therethrough and the bottom portion of the chair being provided with devices which automatically operate to hold the chair above the iioor when the seat member is lowered for use, and which automatically operate to release the chair and allow it to drop through the fioor when the'seat member is raised.

2. Atheater-chair adapted to pass through an opening in the floor, above which it is placed, said chair being composed of a base member and a back member, and being provided with a hinged seat member adapted to be folded into a vertical position and to be lowered into a horizontal position for use, and devices operated by the seat member when lowered for use to hold the chair above the iioor and operating when the seat member is raised to allow the chair to pass through the floor, the back of the chair being also provided with automatic devices for closing the opening in the floor when the chair passes therethrough.

3. A chair for theaters and similar structures adapted to disappear beneath the iioor, above which it is placed when not in use, said floor being provided with an opening beneath which is a receiver for said chair, said chair being provided with a hinged seat member adapted to be folded vertically when not in use and to be lowered into a horizontal position when in use, and devices operated by pressure applied on the seat member tc hold the chair above the iioor and automatically released to permit the chair to drop through the ioor when the pressure is relieved from` the said member, the back of the chair being also provided with a pivoted plate meinberf automatically operated when the chair passes beneath the floor to close the opening in the floor.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name, in presence of the subscribing witnesses, this 27th day of July, 1906.

FREDERICK HARVEY.

Iitnesses F. A. STEWART, C. J. KLEIN.

XOO 

